


Eight Hundred More

by GogglesXKun



Category: Splatoon
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 12:17:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16387577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GogglesXKun/pseuds/GogglesXKun
Summary: This is actually a sequel to my other fic, "Eight Hundred"! Please read that one first!





	Eight Hundred More

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually a sequel to my other fic, "Eight Hundred"! Please read that one first!

As the cycle of pain and bliss continued one night was unlike the others. With the angel nowhere in sight, the green Inkling sighed in his dreams. It seems like night terrors were finally back to haunt him… He’d be without his comfort again like he used to be… Resigning to his fate of a sleepless night, Safari stayed where he was in the lucid dream, only glancing around to curiously see the ever changing scenery.

Night to night, even if it was similar, the scenery had always changed somewhat. Sometimes it would be the top of Deca Tower during an eternal twilight, different colors painted the sunset each time. There was occasionally a grassy valley surrounded by woods on all sides, seasons that changed decorated the trees or brought forth beautiful blossoms of which a crown would be made from and replace his hat as a soft giggle reached his ears. At the bottom of the ocean there was a beautiful scene light up by sunlight from far above the water’s surface and glowing crystals on the seafloor, rainbows made from coral and various creatures gliding through the water were breathtaking once the angel convinced him to calm his fear, convinced him he was safe in his dreams with the pink god beside him…

Tonight however, it was a strange abyss of white with colors busting nearby only to fade away and be replaced. Watching the strange colors dance, it looked almost as though someone had watered down a burst bomb for the colors and splashes it made. It was still rather pleasant to look at however. Though it was hard to enjoy from the worry of what the missing angel could mean. The worry settled like a rock in his stomach until he heard a faint familiar voice, though it’s tone and words were unlike how it usually spoke.

“... Tell me truthfully... If you could, would you do anything to try again…?”

“A-Aloha…?”

“No, I am not. But I thought perhaps this voice might be the most soothing to you… I have no voice of my own, I must borrow one. As such, to speak with you, I sought out the voice you’d be most willing to answer. Rest assured, your dearest is well. He’s only been restricted from visiting you tonight to spare anymore confusion than is necessary.”

Perhaps that was for the best… The green Inkling’s head was already swimming. What sort of oddball dream did his imagination come up with this time…? He must really be going insane from the pink Inkling’s death… But what had this being meant by “would he do anything to try again”?... At one point, he would have lied, saying he didn’t care enough to do much at all to do something that might help the other Inkling… Now however… What did he have to lose…?

“Well? What do you think about the question I posed?”

“I… Of course I would… Why wouldn’t I…?”

“Then listen to me carefully… You’ll get your chance, but you know the timer you’re on… You have less than a week... Fix it in time without causing suspicion… Or else you’ll lose him again… Understand?”

Well, despite understanding the instructions, he had no idea what they were for. Get his chance? How could that happen? Aloha was dead. There was no changing that… Despite his partial confusion, the green Inkling nods his head. He understood enough even if he didn’t quite get the instructions.

“Good… Then wake up. You have work to do and I don’t believe you’ll want to miss a moment of it.”

And with that, the .Gal user’s eyes opened. Despite being awake, he was still as dazed as he was in his dream. How odd it was!... Surely it means nothing. With a sigh, the Inkling grabs his phone, unlocking it and going to his usual contact before once again being confusedly blindsided. Where had the hundreds of messages he sent to this number gone? Did his phone reset while he was asleep?... What did it matter?

It just meant to start again. A quick good morning text was sent that should never receive an answer and the green Inkling was off the moment his phone was put down. He’d come back for it when he finished his morning routine… And that he did, only to be met with a light up screen. It was likely just one of his teammates checking up on him…

“Well, don’t you seem to be in a good mood today! -”

“Text the wrong number by any chance Safari? -”

“Perhaps you just had a good dream last night~ -”

That… No… That was impossible… There’s no way Aloha was responding to him… Unless maybe… The words from his dream bounced around in his head. Maybe he really did have a second chance to make amends… But… He can’t just tell him as much as he wanted to just run out the door to find and hug the Inkling, begging for his mercy and chanting a mantra of “I love you”s until his throat starts to bleed. No, he has to act “natural”… Just for now…

“>I guess I did…”

“> Does it matter?”

“It does matter! Maybe your night terrors are over~ -”

“>I doubt it.”

“Always so negative~ Anything I can do to change that? -”

“>Yeah. Leave me alone.”

_“I’ll see you soon then~! You aren’t gonna shake me~ -”_

The .Gal user barely manages to lock his phone with his shaking hands. Aloha might actually be… He had to go see. It wouldn’t take Aloha long to track him down… Throwing his phone in pocket, Safari barely remembers to grab his .Gal before rushing out the door... He had to see if someone was just cruelly pranking him or if his dearest wish had been answered.

A couple hours later the green Inkling was about ready to give up and allow the pent up desperation and grief to consume him… That was until his hat was suddenly whisked of his head. Spinning around, the panicked Inkling was met with an all too familiar laugh. A teasing pair of eyes dazed him as they took in their owner’s work.

_“Awww, did I scare you~? You’ve been in quite a rush today~! Planning a special night?”_

“... N-No… I’ve just… Been thinking of other things today… Wait, what does it matter to you?!”

_“Oh come on, when do I not ask about your day~? You’re interesting!”_

“W-What do you mean? Flattery won’t help you!”

Gods how hard was this act to keep up by now… He wanted to give in, to cling to the earthbound angel in front of him with whispered apologies. He wanted to hear the happy tone try to calm his lingering guilt without any surprise of why he was so suddenly acting out. He had to hold himself off though… He was told not to be suspicious. He needed to try to take his time without missing his deadline.

_“Even if it will or won’t, I’m going to keep it up~ You’re cute when you’re flustered after all~!”_

“J-Just shut up!”

_“You’re lucky I have a match to get to or I’d be irritating you a lot longer~ Perhaps I’ll see you again today~ Goodbye for now though~!”_

The green Inkling barely held himself back from panickedly reaching out to grab the other’s hand. How would he know when the cursed disease would try to take the angel back to his waiting room among the clouds?... It was time to amp up his night terror acting. It should be no issue. He was bound to have nightmares again, especially with the looming threat that his beloved god could be unchained from this mortal plane again.

For now however, he had to make it through the day without breaking. He could worry about the night when it came…. Yet, there was nothing to worry about beyond reminding himself not to keep texting the other. The day passed without incident, he didn’t make himself appear suspicious and he kept an eye on the other since the legendary S4 matches were always displayed on some screen. Despite the deadly disease building it strength in his heart and lungs, the pink Inkling battled as if he was in perfect health.

When night fell, Safari again had to restrain himself. He needed to sleep. Aloha would find a text suspicious this early and he might not be able to keep up the act without a true scare… He must have drifted off sometime after resting his head as his eyes opened after his own terrified shriek woke him up, fear gripping his every instinct.

How predictable he was! The nightmare of course had been about the pink Inkling’s death… Kept back by an unknown barrier, all he could do was watch and sob as the coughing started. The ethereal being hadn’t even known the object of his affections was begging and screaming to try to get his attention, to possibly help him. No, the pink Inkling hadn’t noticed a thing as he dropped the the ground, coughing and puking up such vibrant colors. It would be beautiful piece abstract art if it wasn’t for the fact that it was killing him… When the Inkling finally collapsed, trying to take his last breath through the petals and ink that painted his lungs and throat, the blood curdling shriek had finally done its job of ending the pain.

With shaking hands, Safari begun the old routine again. A quick call, a faltering voice and a promise that an angel would appear soon to soothe him. It was stunning how well he still knew this ritual for how long it’s been since he last performed however, he needed to perfect it. He needed his prayer to be better than ever to catch the pink fay in time.

A knock at the door as it opened announced the other’s entrance. Within moments, the two were curled up. Sobs and fake insults mixed in with kind reassurance and a melodic humming. The tune was as mindless as ever but just hearing the soft tones while he was awake for once was more than a relief to the green Inkling. If it wasn’t for the built up grief from Aloha’s original passing and the shock of the nightmare making him watch it all, he wouldn’t be able to keep up the sobbing act.

Eventually the sobbing quieted to hiccups, the embrace on the green Inkling loosened as the fay shifted to rub gentle circles on his back. Another spasm of fear over took Safari as a memory struck him. This was around the time Aloha would leave, when he was finally calm enough to rest. He had to find an excuse…

“... D-Don’t leave tonight…”

_“Eh…? Since when do you want me to stay? Are they really getting that bad…?”_

“I wouldn’t b-be asking you to stay if they weren’t you dumbass…”

The pink Inkling only gives him a silent look of pity and concern. Within a few moments, the two are lying down, with the S4 member cradling his companion as he continues to hum. It doesn’t take long for Safari to drift off although Aloha stays awake longer to just appreciate the situation… Even if there was an occasional cough and a few petals to hide…

For the next few nights, a similar scenario happened. The nightmare got more gruesome, the crying would last longer, it would take longer for the green Inkling to get to sleep, the pink Inkling would still be kept there, more and more petals each night… That was until one night when Safari woke up a second time. The warmth that kept him calm was missing. Until he got up and turned on the light, all he could do was wonder why the other would leave…

And then he saw the drops of pink ink on the floor. Panic dropped like a rock in his stomach. Time was running out… Trailing the pink droplets, Safari eventually found this source, coughing and shaking knelt over a toilet, a couple petals on the rim, ink dripping from his lips and who knows how much was in the bowl. Safari was afraid to look much further.

“A-Aloha?!”

_“Wh… What… Safari, why… Are you up…?”_

“That d-doesn’t matter right now!”

_“Yes it… Does… Are you… Worried about me…?”_

“... Who wouldn’t be worried about someone puking petals and ink?”

_“Don’t be… I’ll be fine… Go back to bed, I’ll… Join soon…”_

“It’s called “hanahaki disease” isn’t it…?”

_“... It is…”_

“It’s brought about by one sided love, right?... Lethal if it gets far enough…?”

_“... You did an… Awful lot of research into this…”_

“So… Who brought it about and why don’t you get surgery for it? It can be removed you know…”

_“Someone who won’t love me… The way I love them… I’m sure of it… And I’d rather keep these… feelings… They’re lovely as painful as it is…”_

“But you could die from it…”

_“That’s fine… Why do you-!”_

The pink Inkling was suddenly cut off by his own body. Turning away, a torrent of petals and ink again left his mouth and fell into the likely stained bowl below. Coughing followed it and Safari was sure the other was running out of time with how he struggled to breathe. It was almost stunning that ill Inkling in front of him found the air and time to speak. Within moments, Safari was knelt by him, trying whatever he could to ease the other’s breathing. With panting an a couple more coughs, the dying Inkling again found his voice.

_“W-Why… Do you… Care…?”_

“... Just tell me who it is.”

_“I-I told you… Someone that.. Won’t love me back… They told… Me as much…”_

“Then what does it matter if you say the name?”

_“I-I’ve already… Been rejected… Why make… Myself suffer more?”_

“... It’s me, isn’t it?”

_“...”_

“Aloha.”

_“... It’s…”_

“Mm?”

_“... Yes. It’s you…”_

That’s all the green Inkling needed to hear. Turning the other’s embarrassed face towards him, it took less than a moment for him to smash their lips together. The taste of the ink mixed with whatever liquid the petals let out when bit on was certainly strange, but not repulsive. He doubted much could get him off the other Inkling by now anyways.

Well, except for the fact the other was still short of breath. While he would have preferred that the kiss lasted longer, Safari had to pull away. Who knows how long Aloha could last without breathing after this mess? With dazed eyes full of hope, the pink Inkling merely stares at him for a bit before trying to finally collect his thoughts.

_“Why…? When did…? What did that mean…?”_

“... Because I love you… I don’t know when it happened or how, but I’ve loved you for a while… I’ve been lying to both of us for a long time…”

While that, Aloha’s face split into a bright grin. The pain in his chest lightened considerably for the time being and he quickly threw himself at the other to hug him. It was a surprise Safari kept them kneeling rather than laying on the floor. The two didn’t get anymore sleep that night… But with the suddenly giddy atmosphere, they could only imagine they’d have more time later to rest together.

And that they did. Eight hundred and more text messages were exchanged between the two. Over days, over weeks, months and years. Of course there were troubles, but it was nothing the two couldn’t handle.Truthfully, the most worrying thing in their relationship was the occasional petals that fell from the pink Inkling’s mouth. When asked about it, Aloha had merely stated again that he’d rather keep his feelings and deal with the occasional pain or shortness of breath. He even became fond of the petals, viewing them as reminders that he still cared for his love and that he was loved back if they didn’t choke out his life.

Once again, the two were curled up in bed. Sweet words were exchanged in between bursts of silence where they just enjoyed the other’s company. Occasionally, there was a restless night though, usually after a few petals were coughed up through the day. Tonight being one of those sleepless nights, Aloha decided to attempt something that may help his beloved. Unabashed and with a teasing smile, the pink angel started to sing a song he had heard the other listen to quite often. It didn’t take Safari long at all to fall asleep to the sweet tones, as much as he wanted to hear them and be awake with the other… He could always listen to him another day now...

**"...And since the god up there I know really exists  
6.5 billion and one come true of every wish  
And someday I know that all this pain will melt away and see  
Everyone will be just smiling on for all eternity  
You, who I hate, with every fiber of my being  
Are still breathing, feeling fine, and living on care free  
Living on still as you still breathe....**

**Every bit of every word that falls out of my mouth  
I swear is nothing but the truth  
Nobody dies and no one passes away  
And no one has a past they'd want to go back and change**

**It's true I hate you right down to the bone  
Even when your stomach groans, I don't really care  
Though you're not tired, you just sleep the day away  
Although you're tired you always respond to me..."**


End file.
